Tool handle



J. NOVELO TOOL HANDLE May 23, 1961 Filed July 1, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Jaw/v Novezza MW Armemsy J. NOVELO 2,985,209

TOOL HANDLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 23, 1961 Filed July 1, 1959 II fifl m N A F I"? W 22/ 74? fill/I114 B Alli/l F G W TOOL HANDLE John Novelo, 129-17 Rockaway Beach Blvd.,

Belle Harbor, N.Y.

Filed July 1, 1959, Ser. No. 824,405

1 Claim. (Cl. 145-61) This invention relates to a handle for a tool such'as a screw driver or the like and has for its primary object the provision of means for facilitating the grasping of the handle of the tool in a convenient manner.

Heretofore, many tool handles such as handles for screw drivers have been molded out of plastic materials such as cellulose acetate. The shank of the screw driver or other tool hasv an end imbedded in the handle and the handle is usually given a suitable ornamental configuration and is colored as desired. 7

These tools are very useful in most fields since the handle is very substantially electrically insulative. However, the material from which the handle is made, that is, cellulose acetate, is often uncomfortable to grasp due to the fact that ifit were formed with smooth surfaces instead of the usual grooves, it would be very slippery. These grooves render the handle likely to crease or otherwise hurtthe fiesh of the hand grasping the tool when the handle is grasped tightly.

In order to avoid thedisadvantage of the slippery surface and the uncomfortable result from grabbing the tool tightly, a sleeve of a relatively softer material than the cellulose acetate is molded directly onto the handle. This sleeve is preferably formed of vinyl plastic material.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a screw driver handle which has a sleeve of relatively soft elastic material which is securely aflixed to the body of the handle.

Another object of the invention lies in the utilization of a conical shaped body for a screw driver handle which will enable a relatively soft resilient elastic sleeve to be securely retained on the handle.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a novel screw driver handle body having apertures extending transversely therethrough, the handle being provided with a sleeve of relatively soft and elastic material, this soft material filling the apertures and being integrally formed with the sleeve so that the surface of the handle has areas due to the apertures of greater and less depressible portions. 7

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of the invention, which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this tool handle structure, preferred embodiments of which have been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, by way of example only, wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a screw driver handle with tool shank attached of an embodiment of the invention, with parts being shown in section for detail;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1 but illustrating a modified form of the invention employing a truncated conical shaped body;

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view as taken along the plane of 3-3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is similar to that of Fig. l but yet of another embodiment of the invention;

2,985,209 Patented May 3 1-,

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view as taken along the plane of 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view similar to that of Fig. 5 but of a further embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a partial elevational view of yet another embodiment of the invention employing helical grooves in the body with parts of the sleeve covering the body being broken away showing the construction more clearly; i

Fig. 8 is a partial sectional detail view illustrating the embodiment shown in Fig. 7 working in a direction perpendicular to the plane of Fig. 7; i

Fig. 9 is a sectional detail view as taken along the plane 9-9 of Fig. 7; v

Fig. 10 is an elevational view with parts shown in section of an additional embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 11 is a sectional detail view as taken along'the plane of 1111 in Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is an elevational view with parts in section of a further form of the invention;

Fig. 13 is a sectional detail view showing the cross sectional shape of the sleeve and body as taken along the plane of 13--13 of Fig. 12; and l V Fig. 14 is a sectional detail view of an embodiment of the invention employing a body of octagonalcross sectional shape.

With continuing reference to the accompanying draw ings, wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, and with particular attention directed to the embodiment ofthe invention as shown in Fig. l, reference-numeral 20 generally designates a tool employing the concepts of the present invention.

The tool shank 22, in this case, is provided with a screw driver blade 24 and has its end 26 press fitted within the recess 28 formed in the body 30 of the tool. The body 30 is formed of relatively hard material. In practice, the body 30 is cut off in blanks from stock of cellulose acetate and then machined to give it desired ornamental conformation.

A sleeve 34 is positioned about the body 30 in a novel manner. This is achieved by a molding process, wherein the body 30 serves as a core on the sleeve 34 is molded thereabout.

The sleeve 34 is formed of vinyl and because of the differences in coefficients of expansion, after molding the vinyl securely grasps the handle body 30. The sleeve 34 is somewhat elastic and thus provides a convenient and effective surface which may be grasped for rotation of the tool in a much more comfortable and secure manner than that heretofore possible.

Referring now to the embodiment of the invention as shown in Fig. 2, the tool 40 includes a body 42 which is of a truncated conical shape having the end portion 44 of less thickness than the end portion 46. A collar 48 is formed at theend portion 44 so that the sleeve 50 which is molded thereon will abut against the collar 48. In this fashion it will not be possible for the sleeve 50 to ever slip even after the tool has aged considerably due to the fact that the tapered surface of the body prevents the movement of the sleeve 50 away from the shank, while the collar prevents the movement towards the shank.

As shown in Fig. 4, the body 42 may be provided with apertures or bores 52 and 54 therethrough, any suitable number of apertures being provided as found desirable.

Integrally molded with the sleeve 50 is material 56 and '58 filling the bores '52 and '54 respectively. This material serves a triple purpose. First, it securely locks the sleeve to the body 42. Further, the apertures or bores 52 and 54 are of a relatively large size and because of 3 the elasticity of the material '56 and 58, the surface of the sleeve will thus have portions which can be greatly compressed which are in alignment with the apertures 52 and 5,4. This will serve :to enable the screw driver handle to be more securely grasped.

- In :addition, .because thevinyl is much less expensive than the cellulose'acetate, the cost of material will be somewhat reduced for the resultant size of the'handle.

:In lieu ,of the circular cross sectional shapes for the body, as is shown in Figs. 1 through 5, anyof the forms may be provided with a body of an oval cross sectional shape as is shown in Fig. 6, or of an octagonal cross sectional shape as at -62 in Fig. 14.

Ofcourse, the sleeve is provided with an outer configuration of circular cross sectionalshape, but may be provided with -any suitable outer shape.

Referring now to Figs. 7 through 9, herein is shown a tool having -a body 72 provided with helical shaped grooves 74 that intersect as-at 76 and which are'joined asat 78, and 80. These helical grooves provide a desirable function of locking the. sleeve 82 to the body 72, the sleeve having integrally molded therewith as at 84 material which fills the grooves 74. Of course, the grooves are preferably formed of a relatively large widthso that the sleeve 82 presents areas which may be more greatly compressed than other areas, thus affording a chance for more secure grasping of the handle.

In Figs. 10 and 11, there is shown an embodiment wherein the body 92 is provided with a plurality of grooves 94 which extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body 92. The sleeve 96 is provided with material integrally molded therewith which fills the grooves 94. In lieu of the grooves 94, -a series of grooves 100 may beprovided inthe embodiment of the tool 102 as shown in Figs. 1-2 and 13.

Herein the grooves 100 extend about the body 106 in spaced relation 'circumferentially in a direction normal to the axis of the body 106. The sleeve 104 is provided with material 108 integrally molded therewith which fills the grooves 100.

It is to be noted that in carrying out the invention the bodies of the respective forms of the invention are placed in the mold prior to the pouring of the vinyl plastic. This material will then become strongly fixed to the cellulose acetate upon cooling.

Since from the foregoing the construction and advantages of this tool, handle are readily apparent, further description is believed to .be unnecessary.

However, numerous modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art and accordingly it is not intended to limit the invention to the precise embodiments shown, but all suitable equivalents may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

Atool handle comprising a body of a relatively hard plasticmaterial having an end portion recessed to receivethe-shankof a tool, and a-sleeve of circular outer peripheral cross sectional-shape of arelatively soft elastic material embracing said body under tension, said body being of aitruncated conical shape and having an oval cross sectional shape, said end portion having 'a collar thereon and being relatively thin, the end opposite said end portion being relatively thick,said body having at least one aperture extending transversely therethrough, said aperture being filled with relatively soft elastic material integral with said sleeve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

